Draft rigging for railway cars



June 29 1926.

E. G. GOODWIN DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed April 18. 1922 2 sheets-Sheet i 5 /.EVENTQR j BY SZ la ,m4 ATTORNEY June 29 1926.

E. G. GOODWIN DRAFT RIGGING FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed April 18, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 At TTORNEY Patented June 29, 1926.

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ci-iroaafrmn or: JERSEY- DRAFT nicer-NG Fon RAILWAY GARS;

Application filed April is, 192e.' serial No. 555,375.-

This iiivention'relates to improvements in apparatus for yieldingly resisting stresses and more especially in some of its` details to iiiiprovenients liii draft gearslof the friction type adapted for iiseliii connection With railway rollingstock. Y

lhe invent-ion has for v its general object' the provision. of' an impro-ved draft gear of the' class mentioned which is' strongg` light,

coiiipact"7 Wear resistant, and susceptible of' ready repair v'lien dainagedg and the parts whereof are' Vreadily interchangeable with those of old gear's of'siinilar type. Y

Another object' is the' pr'ovison ofan iinpr'oved spring-barrel for draft gears ofthe class mentioned'which is simple anddurable and adapted for ready interchange With spring-barrels in draft gears ofs'imilar type. Still another Objectis the provision of an improved spring-barrel for draft gears of the class mentioned which is riiggedland satisfactory in seri'ice, and susceptible of. con struction from standard metallic stock re"- sulting in economies in in'anuf'actur'eil Another object is tlie'provison of Van im* proved' construction of spring-barrels for draft gears' giving a maximum of strength 1ith a ininimiim of material. and permitting" an increase in springcapacity Without sacrihcing strength.

Other objects will be in part obvious Vfrom the following detailed description' of an illustrative embodiment of the invention and in part pointed outl in connection therewith.y

ter set forth5 andv the scope of' the applica# 4U tion of4 which will be indicated inthe folloiiingclaims.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part'of thisspeciiicatioii wherein seyeralilfV lustiative embodiments" are shown,

a draft gear embodying the invention;

Fig. 2" is' a' central horizontal sec-tion inggehetvn' in eleifati n Figure l is afragnientaryfside elevation of'- ing tlielrelation' of the spring barrel and draft' s'ills ,;a'n"d i Figs. 5,' 6, '7 and 8 arev detailed. enlarged sectional views showing modifications of the spring barrel construction lt'efeifring now to the drafvvingfor a detailedfdescription', the preferredembodiment ofthe invention is shown in Figuresfl to l incliisive.4 As theresliovvii the dra-ft'gfezar is disposed between, the longitudinal draft sills ll and 2 of' acarin a manner known inthe art. y The usualstops 3 are secured to the draft sills and: positioned to co-operate and form stops-` for they forward. and rear follower plates 4: and 5f respectively limiting the movement ofY the rigging in both forward and' rearward directions and functioning to transmit vdraft and biiiling stresses to the undeikfraining Vofthe carthrough the' resilient elementsI ofthedra-ft gear'. Draft andbul ing'stresses are communicatedto the follower plates and thus to the draft rigging through a draw-bar 6, to the rear extremityof which is secured a yoke? embracing the stress resisting elementsof the rigging.

The primary stress resisting elements of the riggingarel shown as comprising conL centrically arrangedisprings/S and 9 oppo sitely coiled' and seatedat oney end of the. rigging against the follower plate l. At

their' opposite ends the springs yare seated against the cen-ter friction block l0 form# ing? one of the elements vofthe friction mechanism'. As iinderstoodby those skilled iii theart, friction type' of draft gear to Which this inventionn is applied,I `comprises friction elementsv co=operat-ing with each other under ldraft and buffing stresses and arrangedVv to. compress the primary resistingI elementsv orn springs to la greater degree than the' merenrentl of" thel draw-bar, .thus offering a jl greater Aresistance to siicliv stresses than could;

be secured Iby the mere'aiigunientation of spring resistance: Y this` means' the ab! sorption of heavy buffing and dra-gftv stresses is providedn for- Without the ein-plciyrnenti or 'excessively heavy springs and* other parts:

Aslshoiyn` this friction inecl'ianismi, in?

Claassen @einer sensationelesa tion blclfrsl 1li; There is also; provided; a

friction' ,b o'Xl l2 encoinpassinggtlief frictionbloclis and Llia-.v inL 1 .,fcfictionzyfaces:

adopera-ting'frctionally with adjacent iipA for receiving service stress.

clined friction faces of the side blocks. The blocks and friction box are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the center block forming a seat for the draftv springs and the side blocks being positioned in the wedge-shaped seats between the opposed oppositely inclined lfriction faces of the center blockxancl friction box, and are in frictionalengagement with the saine. Tn this embodimentthe center block is constructed of forged steel and the friction box may be of similar construction, while the side friction blocks are of cast metal. This arrangement of parts decreases the cutting and wear of the engaging surfaces under the severe use to which the apparatus is subjected in actual operation. The center block is also provided with a central cavity or pocket, providing a lighter construction. This pocket may also form a seat for the centr'd draft spring. l

A housing or spring barrel 13 for the spring is seated at one end against the friction box, a seat being provided fortliis purpose; and at the opposite end it is seated v against the follower 1. This barrel is of special improved construction approximately rectangular or polygonal in cross section and made up of wrought metal plates lbent into form to provide the shape of barrel desired and secured together at their edges. The barrel may ralso be made up of a singlewiought metal plate bent to foi-m the barrel and secured together atadiacent edges as shown, for example,l in Fig. 5.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 1 the plates forming the barrel are shaped at diagonally opposite corners of the' latter to form'longitudinal cori'ugations or stiffening columns 14 and at the other diagonally opposite corners the platesl are overlapped as at 15 and secured together, as by rivets, forming a rigid structure. For this purpose the edge of one of the plates is offset outwardly forming an offset flange 16 overlapping the adjacent edge of the companion plate. Thisr arrangement of overlapping .edges provides additional longitudinal rstilfening columns disposed at corners of the barrel functioning also as longitudinal reinforcing columns Intermediate the longitudinal corner columns additional stiffening columns may be provided by forming outwardly extending ribs or cor rugations 17 corresponding to they contour of the louter spring 8, as shown in Fig. 3.

As particularly shown in Fig. t the space between the draft sills 1 and 2 forms a box for receivingthe draft rigging,`spii n`g barrel beingl disposed therein, as shown, the columns formed by the overlapping edges of adjacent plates lying substantially at the cornersl ofthe draft rigging box, and the corner coluinnsle occupy similar positions, while the intermediate corrugations or ribs 17 are disposed on central vertical and horizontal planes passing through the rigging. rThe corner columns willi be positioned on the diagonal planes lying between the vertical and horizontal planes mentioned, but these may be formed otherwise than as shown. Advantage is thus taken of the extra space provided at the corners of the draft rigging box for providing additional cross sectional area of the barrel without utilizing such space as would make it necessa-ryk to reduce the size andcapacity of the springs. This type of spring barrel could not be installed in existing draft gears of this type if the walls thereof, except at the corner portions, were increased in thickness over the thickness of the walls of the standard cylindrical type of barrel now in use;

This is an important feature since the space provided for draft gears of this character is limited and the thickness of the barrel walls could not'be increased without correspondingly decreasing the diameter of the springs, impairing the gear.v

In order to provide the friction box with a seat for yaccommodating this special spring barrel two opposedlips or lugs 18 project from the inner face thereof, being curved at the central portion complementary with the ribs 17 so as Vto engage snugly therearound andhold the parts in properly assembled relationship. These lugs are made extra long and formed with reversely curved lateral portions 19 co-operating with walls of the barrel as the latter recede from the contourof the spring 8. The lugs therefore engage with the spring barrel substantially throughout their length forming a firm seat particularly well .adapted to hold the barrel securely in position. Also the yoke 7, encompassing the spring barrel and friction box and follower plates, aids in securing the parts in properly assembled relationship.

It will therefore be perceived that not only is the friction box adapted to receive the improved spring barrel, but also is as well adapted to receive the old cylindrical type ofbarrel, the curved central portion of the lues 18 engaging the periphery of the cylindrical barrel to hold the same firmly in position. Therefore, with the type of friction box herein disclosed, the new type of spring barrel is interchangeable with the old cylindrical type, and other parts of the new rigging are also interchangeable with parts of the old gear. It will also be obvious that the new gear may be interchanged as a whole with an old gear of this type. This interchangeability of parts is important in- .advantageous over the old type from a standpoint ofV manufacturing costsince the isogeeo improved barrel` may be made up of standard wrought metal plates procurable in the open market at adninimumprice, whereas the old cylindrical barrel has to be specially made involving extra expense. Due to the system of reinforcing above explained the barrel is increasedin strength over that ofthe old type of barrel, while the weight thereofy is onlyslightly increased and for equal strengthmay be considerably reduced.

In the modification shown-in Fig; th@ spring barrel is ma de upof a single wrought metal plate bent into proper shape to form the spring barrel and having overlapping secured edges` provided by the offset flange 16', asalready described'.

In F ig. G the barrel isinade uplof a single wrought metalplate bent into shape with the edges abutting and. welded together asA indicated'. at 20; ln order to provide an; additional reinforcement strip 2l may he placed in the angle between the edges of the plate and welded thereto. It is obvious that the barrel thus formed may be made up of two or more plates welded together at ladjacent edges if desired.

Fig. 7 shows still another method of securing the adjacent edges of the wrought metal plates of which the barrel is made. In this case a steel angle bar 22 is interposed between adjacent edges of the barrel plates and the flanges of the angle bar are spot welded to the respective barrel plates as indicated at 23.

According to the modification of Fig. S the overlapping edges 24 and 25 of the bar- -rel plates are spot welded as indicated at 26, the welded seam being disposed at the corner of the barrel as in embodiments described above.

As many changes could be made in the above construction any many apparently widely di'erent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all. matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall'. be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

lt is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein describen, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a mattei' of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters .Patent is:

l. As an article of manufacture, a friction boi; for optional application to a tubular type of spring barrel or a substantially rectangular barrel having rounded outer faces .intermediate its corners, said friction box including a body, and lugs extending from in comb. iation,a springlbarrel,including a rigid body formed of sheet metal of constant gauge,sai d body being substantially rectangular in cross section and being bent provide longitudinal corrugations extend ing-.lengthwise of its-body and at points-substantially intermediate the corners thereof', a coil spring disposed within said body A and adapted to be guided by the skeleton cylinder provided by the curved inner faces of said body, a friction box at one end of said barrel, and friction blocks cooperating with said boi; and engaged by said spring.

is an article of manufacture, a spring barrel for use in draft rigging, saidbarrel including a rigid body formed of sheet metal of substantially constant gauge and bent to provide rigidifying portions extending lengthwise of said barrel.

5. its an article of manufacture, a spring barrel for use in draft rigging, said barrel including` a rigid body formed of sheet metal of substantially constant gauge, said body being substantially rectangular in cross-sed tion and being bent to provide reinforcing portions extending lengthwise of said barrel and disposed adjacent and between the corners of said body.

(i. in a friction draft gear, in combination, a spring barrel, a closure at one end thereof,

said barrel in cross-section being approximately a square convexly rounded at its four corners and also midway of its four sides, said eight roundings providing longitudinal oorrugations for said barrel, a friction box at one end of said barrel, cooperating friction blocks disposed within saidbox, a helical spring bearing against one of Asaid blocks and located within said barrel and guided by the inner faces of certain of said corrugations, said friction box having on its inner face a seat conforming to and abutting against the end of said corrugated-barrel, and two opposite extensions forming a .part of said box and conforming to and overlapping` the ouside of two of the midway corrugations of the barrel.

7. ln a friction draft geanin combination, a spring barrel, a closure at one end thereof, said barrel in cross-section being approximately a square convexly rounded at its four corners and also midway vof its four sides, .Said @surroundings providing eorrugatees.

Cil

extending longitudinally of said barrel, a friction box secured at the other end` of said barrel, friction blocks within said box, a helical Spring arranged between said closure and the inner face of one of said Vblocks andrlocated within said barrel and guided by the skeleton cylinder provided by theinner faces of said four midway corrugations, said friction box having on its inner face a seat conforming to and abutting against the end of said corrugated barrel, and extensions forming a part of said box and conforming to and overlapping certain of the corrugations of the barrel.

S. In a friction draft gear, in combination, a spring barrel, a closure at one end thereof, eaid barrel in cross-section being approximately a square convexly rounded at its four corners and also midway of its four sides, said eight roundings providing corrugations extending longitudinally of said barrel, a

, friction box secured at the other end of said barrel, friction blocks within the same,.and a helical spring engaged between said closure and the inner face of one of said blocks and located within and guided by the inner faces of said four midway corrugations.

9. ln a friction draft gear, in combination, a spring barrel, a closure at one end thereof, said barrel in cross-section being approximately a square convexly rounded midway of its four sides, to provide corrugations extending longitudinally of said barrel, a friction box secured at the open end of said barrel, friction blocks within said box, and a helical spring engaged between said closed Vend and the inner face of one of Said blocks and located within and 'guided by the skeleton cylinder provided by the interior faces of said corrugations.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ERNEST G. GODVVIN. 

